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Arizona Cardinals' Patrick Peterson targeted as the next great cornerback in coach Steve Wilks' 'collection'

Cardinals Patrick Peterson takes a picture with Cannon Cabral on his birthday during the Hyundai Youth Football Camp at Arizona Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. on July 2, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Cardinals Patrick Peterson takes a picture with Cannon Cabral on his birthday during the Hyundai Youth Football Camp at Arizona Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. on July 2, 2018.
Patrick Breen/The Republic

Children take pictures with Cardinals Patrick Peterson during the Hyundai Youth Football Camp at Arizona Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. on July 2, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Children take pictures with Cardinals Patrick Peterson during the Hyundai Youth Football Camp at Arizona Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. on July 2, 2018.
Patrick Breen/The Republic

Children lineup for pictures with Cardinals Patrick Peterson during the Hyundai Youth Football Camp at Arizona Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. on July 2, 2018. Patrick Breen/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Children lineup for pictures with Cardinals Patrick Peterson during the Hyundai Youth Football Camp at Arizona Sports Complex in Peoria, Ariz. on July 2, 2018.
Patrick Breen/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals Robert Nkemdiche (90) during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals Robert Nkemdiche (90) during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks huddles with his players during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks huddles with his players during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals Robert Nkemdiche (90) during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals Robert Nkemdiche (90) during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks huddles with his players during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks huddles with his players during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks huddles with his players during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks huddles with his players during voluntary Organized Team Activities on June 5, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Sam Bradford hands the ball to running back David Johnson during voluntary Organized Team Activities on May 23, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz. Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Sam Bradford hands the ball to running back David Johnson during voluntary Organized Team Activities on May 23, 2018 at the Arizona Cardinals Training Facility in Tempe, Ariz.
Rob Schumacher/The Republic

Cardinals scout and former player Adrian Wilson (left) and Cardinals general manager Steve Keim look on during the Cardinals Spring practice at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Cardinals scout and former player Adrian Wilson (left) and Cardinals general manager Steve Keim look on during the Cardinals Spring practice at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018.
David Wallace/The Republic

Cardinals quarterback Mike Glennon (7) during a Spring practice at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Cardinals quarterback Mike Glennon (7) during a Spring practice at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018.
David Wallace/The Republic

Cardinals offensive coordinator Mike McCoy (left) and head coach Steve Wilks during a Cardinals Spring practice at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Cardinals offensive coordinator Mike McCoy (left) and head coach Steve Wilks during a Cardinals Spring practice at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018.
David Wallace/The Republic

Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018.
David Wallace/The Republic

Cardinals defensive back Lou Young III during a Cardinals Spring practice at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018. David Wallace/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Cardinals defensive back Lou Young III during a Cardinals Spring practice at the Cardinals training facility in Tempe on April 19, 2018.
David Wallace/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim talks about the upcoming NFL draft during a press conference at the team training facility in Tempe, Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Tom Tingle/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim talks about the upcoming NFL draft during a press conference at the team training facility in Tempe, Wednesday, April 18, 2018.
Tom Tingle/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim, left, and head coach Steve Wilks talk about the upcoming NFL draft during a press conference at the team training facility in Tempe, Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Tom Tingle/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim, left, and head coach Steve Wilks talk about the upcoming NFL draft during a press conference at the team training facility in Tempe, Wednesday, April 18, 2018.
Tom Tingle/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks talks about the upcoming NFL draft during a press conference at the team training facility in Tempe, Wednesday, April 18, 2018. Tom Tingle/The Republic

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals head coach Steve Wilks talks about the upcoming NFL draft during a press conference at the team training facility in Tempe, Wednesday, April 18, 2018.
Tom Tingle/The Republic

Arizona Cardinals players wait to run sprints at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program. Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals players wait to run sprints at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program.
Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Arizona Cardinals work out at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program. Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals work out at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program.
Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson works out at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program. Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson works out at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program.
Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Mike Glennon works out at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program. Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Mike Glennon works out at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program.
Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson throws a heavy ball over his head at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program. Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson throws a heavy ball over his head at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program.
Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Arizona Cardinals run sprints at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program. Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

Photos: Arizona Cardinals offseason – 2018

Arizona Cardinals run sprints at the Tempe training facility, Tuesday, April 3, 2018, during the offseason strength and conditioning program.
Tom Tingle/azcentral sports

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Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson has never been shy about admitting one of his career goals is to one day be inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Making the past six Pro Bowls as a cornerback looks good on the resume. If anything is lacking on that document, it’s the number of interceptions.

Peterson has 21 in his career, including just one a year ago. That’s 11 fewer than 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, who entered the NFL the same year, 2011, as Peterson.

Peterson, and the Cardinals, want to increase that number significantly in 2018, and it appears Peterson will be used differently under new coach Steve Wilks and coordinator Al Holcomb.

Under former coach Bruce Arians and coordinators Todd Bowles and James Bettcher, Peterson covered the best receiver on the field on almost every play in every game.

Most of the time, he was in “press coverage,” meaning he was trying to jam receivers at scrimmage to disrupt routes.

In the Cardinals’ new defense, Peterson won’t necessarily defend the best receiver every play, nor will he line up facemask-to-facemask with that receiver all the time.

“The way I play is going to change a little bit,” Peterson said on Thursday after the team’s last practice of the offseason. “I’m playing off the ball a little bit more. Now, I have to play with my eyes, play with vision.

“Those little nuggets (Wilks) has given me over the last two months have been a tremendous help,” Peterson said.

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Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson says he will be playing differently under head coach Steve Wilks.
Arizona Republic

Wilks coached defensive backs for most of his career and earned a reputation for helping to develop exceptional cornerbacks, including Josh Norman when both were with the Panthers.

As a head coach, Wilks no longer devotes all of his time to defense, but he has made a point of challenging Peterson.

“Sometimes guys are so gifted, sometimes even at 85 or 90 percent, they are better than the guys around them,” Wilks said. “I used to tell Josh Norman the same thing: you have to learn how to compete against yourself.

“Patrick is trying to position himself, long-term, to one day be in Canton. To do that, you have to start separating yourself even more. That’s the challenge I try to give to him each and every day.”

It’s not fair to judge cornerbacks solely by interceptions, of course. And the Cardinals defense consistently ranked high under Arians, partly because Peterson often controlled one of the opponent’s bigger threats.

But the Cardinals would like to give Peterson more chances at interceptions and pass breakups.

In his first three seasons, Peterson was credited with 60 passes defensed. Over the next four, opponents gradually decided throwing elsewhere was more prudent, and Peterson didn't have more than 10 breakups in any single season in that period.

“Over the last seven years, everyone who played against me knew exactly what (coverage) I was going to be in,” Peterson said. “There was always a lot of motions, a lot of stacks to get my hands off of them.

“Now, they have to be a little more honest. I’m still going to be in a little bit of press, but now my game is definitely evolving to play off the ball as well.”

Wilks is the first Cardinals head coach with a defensive background since Dave McGinnis in 2002-03. Peterson prospered under Ken Whisenhunt and then Arians, so it’s not as if rough edges remain in his game.

But Peterson also is looking forward to playing for someone who is defensive-minded.

“He’s definitely a guy I’ve been leaning on so far,” Peterson said of Wilks. “He put a lot of good ones out there, and I just want to be another one to add to his collection.”